Congo Republic heads to the polls on Sunday in a presidential election expected to extend 82-year-old Denis Sassou Nguesso’s decades-long rule.
Two prominent opposition leaders remain imprisoned, while others live in exile, and several parties are boycotting, citing a lack of credibility in the process.
Polling stations are set to open at 7 a.m. local time and close at 6 p.m., with over 3.2 million registered voters.
Analysts predict turnout will fall below the nearly 68% recorded in 2021, when Sassou won with 88.4% of votes amid limited competition.
Sassou first seized power in 1979 and has governed almost continuously, aside from a brief five-year hiatus during the 1990s.
He faces six minor candidates, none regarded as serious challengers, with electoral authorities dominated by figures loyal to the ruling Congolese Labour Party.
“The opposition is fragmented and lacks a strong, emblematic figure,” said Remadji Hoinathy of the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies.
Rights groups report narrowing political space, citing activist arrests and suspensions of opposition parties over recent years.
Prime Minister Anatole Collinet Makosso defended the process, insisting Congo’s oversight bodies will ensure a transparent and fair election.
Many citizens expressed resignation, saying the outcome is predetermined and little change is expected for the country’s social or economic challenges.
Sassou has campaigned on continuity, promising to accelerate development projects and expand access to education and vocational training.
The economy, heavily reliant on oil, has stabilised after years of downturn, yet more than half of Congo’s 6.1 million people live in poverty.
Provisional results are expected within 48 to 72 hours after polls close, cementing Sassou’s likely continuation in power.